It's been rumored for a long time now, but it's starting to look like a reality: Engadget says that Amazon will probably launch a Samsung-built tablet this summer. They think the tablet will be a 7-incher, and it will probably be at a very competitive price.

This, I think, is the tablet that Apple should be worried about; it'll probably be the first serious iPad competitor. (I refuse to use the phrase "iPad killer" because it's already become a cliche, and because Apple has such a head-start that it's going to be a long time for the tablet market to be anything but iPad-centric.) People don't care about tablet hardware specs; they care about the content they can access on the tablets, and whether the tablet operates smoothly. The latter shouldn't be a concern because Samsung has been doing quite well with touchscreens lately. (Wild speculation: I wonder if maybe Apple's recent lawsuit against Samsung has something to do with Apple's concern over this upcoming Amazon tablet.) Amazon is the only business in America that can match Apple's iTunes for digital content; they've got a huge digital music and movie store, a far-bigger e-bookstore, and the credit card numbers of millions of people around the world. With Apple's head start, this isn't a fair fight, but Amazon could wind up being one of the big winners of the year if they play this device just right.